Month: August 2020

A few years ago, my father, Nathaniel R. Jones, aka “The Good Judge,” came to DC with two of his colleagues, John Pepper and Michael Cioffi, for a meeting with Vice President Joe Biden. I don’t recall what the meeting was about, but they were to meet at Biden’s residence at the Naval Observatory in northwest DC.

That afternoon, The Good Judge called me from the airport as they were about to head back to Cincinnati. I asked him how the meeting went. “It was fine,” he said. “I have to go. They’re closing the door. I’ll talk to you tonight.” When we talked later that evening, he didn’t say any more about the meeting.

That afternoon, The Good Judge called me from the airport as they were about to head back to Cincinnati. I asked him how the meeting went. “It was fine,” he said. “I have to go. They’re closing the door. I’ll talk to you tonight.” When we talked later that evening, he didn’t say any more about the meeting.

About a month later, I was in his office and saw a new photo on the shelf – The Good Judge, Michael and John, standing next to a limousine in front of the entrance to the West Wing.

“Daddy – When was this picture taken?”

“Last month”

“You went to the White House last month?”

“Yes. That was the day we met with Biden.”

“But didn’t you meet with him at the Naval Observatory?”

“Yes. But then he gave us a ride to the White House.”

Huh?

And he told me the story …

After their meeting, The Good Judge, John and Michael prepared to head back to the airport. The Vice President asked them how they were getting there. “We’ll get a cab.”

“It’ll take you forever to get a cab around here this time of day,” the Vice President scoffed. “I’m on my way to work. I’ll give you a ride and you can get a cab from the White House.”

So, they went outside to where the Vice President’s motorcade was lined up. Assuming they’d ride in one of the vans, The Good Judge headed toward the back of the lineup.

“Hey, Judge!” Biden called out. “You guys hop in with me.”

With that, The Good Judge and his companions climbed into the vice presidential limo with Biden and off they went, zooming down Connecticut Avenue, zipping through red lights, police cars and motorcycles with lights and sirens at full blast.

Biden chatted away happily like it was no big deal, as if he were driving some friends to the store in the family sedan. Every now and then, he waved at people on the street, but he stayed focused on the conversation in the car.

A few minutes later, the caravan was whisked through the White House gates and stopped in front of the entrance to the West Wing across from the Executive Office Building. Biden apologized for leaving them: “I gotta run to a meeting – but you should be able to get a cab on 17th with no problem.”

With that, the Vice President said goodbye, sprinted out of the limo, trotted toward the White House and disappeared into the building.

The Good Judge turned to Michael and John and said, “No one is going to believe this.” They all shook their heads, laughing for a few seconds, and then got out of the limo, headed out the gates to 17th Street where, just as Biden had promised, they easily caught a cab to the airport.

But first, they posed for this picture in the driveway outside of the West Wing to prove this all really did happen.

I’ve always loved this story as yet another example of the improbable, wonderful life Lillian Rafe’s keen-eyed son led – and how he never made a big deal about it.

But this story also says an awful lot about our nominee and (please please please) next President of the United States, a man who is so quick to say, “C’mon guys. Let me make it easier for you to get where you’re going. Ride with me.”

When I was a young lawyer in a large law firm, the first African-American to work there, I was assigned to handle a workers compensation case for a corporate client. The employee had a strong case but the company president was adamant about fighting it, so I represented the company in its hearing before the Bureau of Workers Compensation. After the Bureau ruled (correctly) for the employee, I returned to the office to call the client, give him the news and discuss a possible appeal.

When I told him of the decision, the company president (who had never laid eyes on me) blew up and yelled into my ear, “That guy is a dirty lying NIGGER!” I was stunned. “Excuse me?” I stammered. “He’s a dirty lying NIGGER! And everybody at the Bureau is a bunch of nigger lovers. I hope they all end up with nigger grandchildren!”

I felt like I had been punched in the chest and I didn’t know what to do. So I put him on hold and just sat there for a minute, heart pounding, as I tried to swallow and catch my breath.

Then I told myself, “Just get him off the phone, tell the firm and let them handle it.” So I picked the phone back up, told him I needed to call him back and clicked off.  I went upstairs to the office of the senior partner responsible for the client where, shaking and nearly in tears, I told him what happened.

He looked at me for a few seconds, then leaned back in his chair and burst out laughing.

“That guy! He’s such an old curmudgeon. Just last week, he had Bob (another partner) all worked up by giving him the business about being an Ivy Leaguer! That’s just what he does.”

Stunned, I tried to explain to him that the client hadn’t made fun of where I attended college. That this was much different.

“Don’t let it get to you kid. It’s not a big deal. You need grow a thicker skin.”

I left his office and returned to my desk, where I sat not knowing what to do next. A few minutes later, the partner came to my office.

“Oh, good, I thought. He’s figured out he needs to do something ….”

But no. He was there to get the client’s file to give to another associate to handle. “It will probably be uncomfortable for you to work with him now,” he said sympathetically, as if he was doing me a big favor by taking me off of the case.

I asked him if he was going to tell the client why a different lawyer would be working with him, hoping that he planned to stand up for me and tell the client he had insulted one of the firm’s associates.

“No. He’s old and stuck in his ways. There’s no point in embarrassing him …” And he walked out, leaving me feeling alone, unprotected and unvalued.

Most people of color, women, and, especially women of color have surely and on more than one occasion, felt exactly as I did in that moment. It’s a common experience to find ourselves attacked by outsiders and then betrayed by the people who should stick up for us but instead just shrug and tell us WE’RE making too big a deal of the whole thing.

That’s why it was such a BFD yesterday when Joe Biden warned Trump and his henchmen that if they come for Kamala Harris, they’ll have to deal with him.

“Is anyone surprised Donald Trump has a problem with a strong woman? And we know that more is to come,” he said.”So let’s be clear … Kamala Harris has had your back – and now, we have to have her back. She’s going to stand with me in this campaign, and all of us are going to stand up for her. “

When I heard those words, I nearly cried with joy and relief. So many women and minorities have had to stand alone in the face of all manner of attack without any support from the people who should be standing by our sides.

But that’s not going to happen to Kamala. Yes, she’s going to be attacked, probably worse than any woman in political history, except perhaps Hillary Clinton (who also got little support from people who should have stood up for her). It’s already started. But this time, she won’t be alone. Joe Biden has put everyone on notice that not only does he have Kamala’s back, but he expects the entire party to circle the wagons around her. He essentially said for all to hear, “She’s with US. She IS us. So if you come for her, you’d better be prepared for a fight.” And that’s a fight they do not want to have.

As VP, Joe Biden showed himself to be valued and loyal partner to America’s first black president, a younger man whom he was willing to stand behind and support unwaveringly. As a presidential candidate, he showed himself to be a champion, who learned and grew and reached out to a diverse electorate. In selecting Kamala Harris as his running mate, he showed himself to be a politically savvy, bold and sensitive leader, paying it forward and helping to dismantle yet another barrier.

And yesterday, when he put the world on notice that he has Kamala’s back and expects the rest of us to have her back, as well, Joe Biden proved himself to be an ally in the truest sense of the word, willing to wield his privilege for the greatest good.

As we wait with bated breath for Joe Biden to announce his running mate and many of us have our fingers, toes and eyes crossed hoping he picks one of the outstanding African-American women said to be on his shortlist, I’ve noticed something interesting and troubling: a number of people seem to have a problem with black women being given a preference in the veepstakes.

Among the more common pushbacks: “He shouldn’t pick anyone based on race, but on qualifications.” And “What difference should her race make? Just pick the best person.”

In other words, whenever we talk about Biden making a special effort to choose a black woman, some folk go all “content of her character” on us.

Interestingly, however, many of these same people making this argument didn’t seem to have any problem with Biden announcing he would pick a woman, and only a woman. Men, he said, need not apply.

I didn’t see many women insist that “He shouldn’t pick anyone based on gender. He should just pick the best person, and if the best person is a man, so be it.”

No. They were thrilled – and rightly so – that Biden was singling out one group of people who have for too long been excluded from the game.

Yet now that there is a rising tide calling for Biden to select a black woman, many of these same people are insisting that race shouldn’t be the deciding or even significant factor.

But if it’s fine and dandy for Biden to only consider women, why would it be wrong for him to only consider black women?

If you’re ok with Biden limiting his selection pool to women (which excludes all men, including black and brown ones), you should also be ok if he were to limit that pool to just black women, a group even more underrepresented and marginalized than white women.

If you’re not, you might want to think about why you have a problem with it.